Helpless

Tang Wulin smiled slyly as he heard An Ping's words. "So, the Clear Sky Sect has sent two god-level beings. The Yuanen family has also dispatched two extreme Douluo. And the Nine Treasure Glazed Sect, I'm sure, won't be stingy with their money."

"What about the other hidden forces? I bet they'll send their best people to help once they learn about the situation. How many are you planning to squeeze out of your Miracle City?"

An Ping shook his head slightly, seeing through Tang Wulin's scheme. "As I said before, our Miracle City is newly established and short of manpower..."

He couldn't finish his sentence before Xie Xie interrupted him mockingly. "What? Didn't you just say that you would join the fight if the hidden families did? Are you going back on your word so soon?"

An Ping ignored Xie Xie's taunt and said: "We may not have many people, but we can offer customized soul rings and soul bones to those who contribute to the battle against the abyss. After all, we respect those who sacrifice for Douluo Star."

"Also, to prevent any fraud, we will select some supervisors for this matter. What do you think of my proposal?"

Tang Wulin's smile vanished as he listened to An Ping. This was not what he wanted. He wanted to lure people out of Miracle City and drain its vitality through the abyss, not let them benefit from it.

But how could he refuse? Customized soul rings and soul bones were vital for soul masters. Especially now that soul beasts had disappeared, soul bones were rare treasures.

Yet he didn't dare to accept either. Soul rings and soul bones were integrated into soul masters' bodies, and Miracle City could create them artificially. Who knew what they would do to them?

Even if Miracle City didn't tamper with them, it was still bad for them. An Ping was clearly trying to win people's hearts with his offer.

They came here to weaken Miracle City, not to strengthen it. They would never allow that.

The Shrek Seven Devils fell silent again, unable to respond. Gu Yuena broke the silence and said: "It's not impossible for us, Miracle City, to join the fight with full force."

Tang Wulin's eyes lit up as he heard Gu Yuena. He quickly said: "What are the conditions? Tell us. As long as they're not too unreasonable, we can agree."

Gu Yuena smiled and didn't mind Tang Wulin's interruption. She said: "The first and most important condition is to gather all the forces to counterattack the abyss. The second is, if we can break through the abyss, we want half of the Abyss Origin!"

None of the Shrek Seven Devils, except for Tang Wulin, knew what the Abyss Origin was.

But they saw Tang Wulin's grim face and realized that it must be something extraordinary. Even without the second condition, they couldn't agree. They had no chance of counterattacking the abyss.

Tang Wulin was silent for a long time. Then he stood up and said: "I can't make a decision on this matter right now. We need to go back and discuss it. After all, counterattacking the abyss is not a simple matter. Let's call it a day."

He looked dejected, feeling that he had failed. He had been confident after talking with the other Shrek Seven Devils before coming here. He didn't expect to hit a wall on two of the three things.

Tang Wulin felt a surge of discomfort as he realized that An Ping had seen through his use of technology. It was a minor advantage, but it had been exposed. An Ping and Gu Yuena pressed on him harder, sensing his weakness.

He remembered how An Ping had always outpaced him in training at Red Mountain Academy, and how Gu Yuena had challenged him at Eastsea Academy. He had been secretly relieved when they had rejected Shrek Academy, the best school in the continent, and joined Sun Moon Academy instead.

He had hoped to surpass them when he entered Shrek Academy, where he received special attention and guidance. But when he faced them again in a duel with Sun Moon Academy, he was crushed. Even using Tang San's divine consciousness didn't help.

To this day, he and the other six Shrek monsters had never defeated their former classmates. An Ping and Gu Yuena had been flawless in their previous conversation, leaving no room for argument. The more Tang Wulin thought about it, the more frustrated he felt.

He stood up and left, unable to bear it any longer. The others followed him, feeling equally dejected and doubtful. Could they really uphold the legacy of Tang Sect and Shrek Academy?

After they had gone, Gu Yuena asked An Ping curiously: "Are you serious about offering them customized soul rings and soul bones?"

She could tell from his tone and expression that he would do it if Tang Sect and Shrek Academy agreed.

An Ping nodded slightly and said: "Yes, I am. Even though I hate Tang Clan and Shrek Academy, I respect those who are willing to sacrifice for others."

"And the fact that things have come to this point has something to do with us. You know that the forces that joined us brought all their members. Many of them must be in the Blood God Camp."

He hadn't thought about manipulating them through soul rings or soul bones. It was unnecessary, and it would cause panic.

He knew that their real enemies were only Tang Hao, Ah Yin, and the God Realm. He didn't care about the others. Besides, if he did something like that, it would easily alarm the people in Miracle City.

Most of them had joined Miracle City for survival and profit. If he wanted them to truly align with Miracle City, he would have to influence them gradually and subtly.

Gu Yuena didn't argue with him. She chuckled and said: "What a pity. They don't appreciate your kindness. They probably think you're plotting against them."

She had been through a lot with An Ping. She had a good idea of what the people in Tang Sect and Shrek Academy were thinking.